WESTFIELD – The Amelia Park Children’s Museum (APCM) received $50,000 in grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council last month, funded by COVID-19 relief legislation and state gambling revenues.

That’s on top of the more than $30,000 raised from local donors at the Whip City Brewfest on Aug. 28. The outdoor fundraiser featured food and craft beer vendors, as well as live entertainment in downtown Westfield.

Amelia Park Children’s Museum Director Ray Radigan said that the museum had applied for pandemic relief funds late in 2020 when it found itself in serious financial straits. At the time, the state had been unable to fund the museum’s request because of the high number of applicants. When Congress signed the American Rescue Plan Act in March, making millions of dollars available for states to distribute, the Massachusetts Cultural Council chose organizations that it had previously turned down, which included Amelia Park.

“We were thrilled to receive the funding! While things have been slowly improving for APCM, we’re a long way from a full financial recovery. The money will go a long way to help APCM turn the corner,” said Radigan.

He said that the money will help address “deferred needs” like landscaping and facility upgrades that had been put on hold during the pandemic. He also said that they would hire additional staff.

Though the pandemic remains far from over, Radigan said that this summer has been wonderful for the museum so far. The availability of vaccines throughout the spring helped people feel more comfortable leaving their homes and being around others, something that had seemed like a foreign concept just earlier this year.

“Lots of people were eager to leave their houses after getting vaccinated. The rainy weather was a boost, too. As we head into the fall, things usually quiet down for us,” said Radigan. “This is giving us an opportunity to assess many things about our day-to-day operations, not the least of which is the resurgence of COVID cases.”

The museum has kept many of its original COVID-19 protocols in place, and Radigan said that other previously dropped policies may return if the pandemic continues its current surge.

“We will always act to protect our visitors and staff to the best of our ability,” said Radigan.

The funding comes from a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of $135 million for the National Endowment of the Arts, 40 percent of which was to be distributed to state and regional arts organizations across the country. The Massachusetts Cultural Council awarded $732,000 in grants to art and theater organizations across the state, with maximum individual awards of $50,000.